1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lightweight grip assembly for use with sports equipment having shafts or handles, and particularly golf club shafts. More specifically, the present invention relates to a golf club grip assembly that can be used with adjustable golf clubs to free up additional mass for the adjustable features of the golf clubs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Customization of golf clubs to help golfers attain better shots has become a popular and more prevalent practice in recent years. Golf club manufacturers and designers have devised various features to allow club fitters and golf club players to adjust certain characteristics of their clubs. Such characteristics include loft, lie, face angle, center of gravity (CG) location, club length, and overall club weight. These adjustability features often add weight to the golf clubs with which they are provided, however, thus constraining the extent of adjustments available to golfers if they want their clubs to be compliant with USGA standards.
Golf club grips are typically formed from elastomeric materials such as rubber and plastic. When shaped into standard grip dimensions, these materials add a great deal of weight, typically from 40 to 60 grams, to the clubs with which they are used. This weight makes such grips undesirable for use with a club having adjustability features. There is therefore a need for lightweight grips that can be used with adjustable clubs to accommodate the weight of the adjustment features and to allow for a greater range of overall weight adjustability.